Interview with Ryan

Ryan is a 19 year old sophomore at HPU born and raised here in Hawaii.  He currently resides in Pearl City located on the central/west-ish side of Oahu.  He is currently studying for his Bachelors in Cinematic Production.  When he's not at school he spends his time working with his church as part of the youth ministry of which he thoroughly enjoys. With his love of God he feels that he can help others find their faith in God and their path in life.   As a result of his dedication, he was awarded a 100% Reverend Frank E. and Irene Butterworth Scholarship which allows him to attend HPU.  When he's not working at the church he's working at Nordstrom in the Ala Moana Shopping Center in the shoe department.  So hey if anyone is interested in shoes go see Ryan! :0P  If you can't find him at school, work, or church then he's more than likely to be spending his time outdoors.  Fishing, hiking, going to the beach and running around his neighborhood are his favorite free time activities.  His favorite hike is the Kuli'ou'ou ridge trail located along the Kalanianole highway on the east side of Oahu.  Just from this short interview I've learned that Ryan is very devoted to his faith and despite how busy he becomes from school or work he still makes the time to help others find their faith.
 

Remembrance

Today is the 11th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks.  This morning, KSSK had broadcasted a song that really captured the emotions and the moment of 9/11.  The song was titled Hero by Nickelback.  I've heard that song before but while listening to it in that particular context definitely moved me, I actually started tearing up.  The lyrics in the chorus, "and they say that a hero can save us.Im not gonna stand here and wait" and that's exactly what the emergency crew of NY did and what the passengers of Flight 77 and 93 did.  They immediately jumped in to save whoever they could.  I applaud them for their courage.  It took real guts to do what they did, knowing the risk they were taking.  When walking to my class at LB today, the HPD and, what looked like, the Navy saluting the flags of which were at half staff.  I could hear the trumpets sounding the Taps from across the street.  I was already late for class but I wanted to at least pay my respects to the day.

I can only hope that the day will soon come where this war will end and we're no longer needed in the Middle East.

"Act of War" Response

Watching films like these really strike something in me.  I become upset and annoyed just watching the extreme changes that took place upon the people, their culture and the land .  The Hawaiians developed the best way to work the land to their benefit while giving it the care to recover and regrow. They also had a well-developed system of government that treated everyone fairly but punished those who disobeyed any laws severely.  Their system of life worked well for them.  It may have seemed primitive to some people but it shouldn't have been the means to change their way of life.  Life then compared to today was definitely more relaxed; we're so much more hostile now.  I got really upset when the historians described how the native Hawaiians were forced to give up their way of life, their culture, their traditions, and their language.  How the white people made them feel ashamed for who they were.  Who were they to force these things on them?  The Hawaiians didn't travel to their land and force them to change their ways.  Why did they?  Why did they even feel the need to take over the islands to begin with, just like how they took over the land initially inhabited by the Indians?  It's exactly what Queen Liliu'okalani said in her journal when traveling to Washington, "With the lush and great lands already owned by the United States, why did they feel the need to take over such a small island in the middle of the Pacific?"

Despite my feelings, I'm not apart of Kau I Noa.  I respect what they are trying to get across, however there is a major flaw in their argument.  If we declare ourselves as a sovereign nation again and remove ourselves from the U.S., the commodities that we've been accustomed to will all cease to get shipped here.  With the way we live now and all the things we depend on, I really believe there's no way we would be able to survive for long because hardly anyone remembers the old ways.  The land isn't as rich as it once was.  Maybe portions of it but not enough to feed the amount of people on the islands now. I just ultimately hope that we don't run ourselves into the ground.

Intro

My name's Cat and I live in Hawaii. Was born and raised here but feel I'm more than ready to leave the rock.  Hopefully, that'll become a reality after I graduate. My boyfriend and I are planning to move to San Antonio, TX sometime next year.

I'm a super super senior at HPU majoring in multimedia focusing on Web Design.  I'm attending HPU through a Band scholarship; I play the trumpet.  Although I like working with graphics and typography, I'm more interested in putting the code together.  I really hope I'll be able to have an internship or even an entry-level position waiting for me when I get to San Antonio.

I hope that five years from now that I'll have the job I'm looking for that will put my degree to full use.  I also hope that I'll be married with a possible child on the way.  If not a child, then at least be happy and comfortable.

I enjoy simply going to the movies, beach (when I can), hanging out with friends, family and my 15 month old niece.  She's a handful but I love her.  She's not yet walking but she's slowly but surely getting there. She definitely likes to talk, it's still pretty much jibber jabber but we don't care.  Besides she's just so damn cute.